It's been really exciting to clean this machine. Why? Because it's so elegantly designed, and because there's almost no plastic anywhere but the face plate. To sew is to create lint, and machines get full of lint in a few years of use. Who knows when this one was last cleaned?

Last night I figured out how to remove the bobbin case, and to my delight, I found a bunch more lint to remove. I'm using a small, stiff, nylon-bristled brush that is meant for cleaning sewing machines to dislodge the lint, and a large makeup brush to pick it up once it's loose. By the way, I highly recommend using makeup brushes for cleaning. They can be had fairly cheaply, and there are tons to choose from.

Here are the tools I am using to clean this thing up. The white square is #0000 steel wool, which I am using on the chrome bits.

There are a few rusty bits like the pulley, and I'm using the wire brush on those.

I am trying to decide whether I want to replace the belt. I'm fairly sure that is the original belt, and I think it's made of leather. I'm not sure, but I think new belts are rubber, which feels like a downgrade. maybe I can find a new-old stock belt.